The Institution
by EE Diamond
Summary: Set in an AU (alternate universe) to X Men, what happens when Charles Xavier never created the School for the Gifted? Well mutants remained undescovered, and children are sent to Moira McTaggerts institution for the criminally gifted young offenders.
1. Miss Pryde and Misdemenours

A/N: I know Sky, I know. I should be updating All That Glitters and I promise I will at half term…really I will. It's not this week but the week after and I should have a lessened work load as compared to this week with two essays, one on Romeo and Juliet and the other on Pride and Prejudice. English is so much fun! So basically this fic is an idea I've been nurturing for a while now and I wanted to get it out into the open so that my newest OC isn't bouncing around in my mind.

To all new readers (basically everyone but sky), I'm a bit of an OC freak I can't really write without a new OC in the mix, as it just seems wrong. Plus I have an overactive imagination and time to kill! So I give you this story,

AU obviously where Xavier's Institute for the Gifted never existed and the mutant menace has not been discovered as yet. Those with seemingly strange abilities, teenagers mostly are either ignored or abandoned. However in Scotland, a young woman named Moira McTaggert has created a new institution. This isn't you're cuddly Moira in the original series, she's an iron woman with a will of steel to make sure her charges don't misbehave.

See, the children attending McTaggert's institution for the gifted young offenders is for the mutants that have gone bad or seemingly gone bad and it's up to her to straighten them out and fast. A boarding school in Scotland, in the moors away from civilisation is where our story starts.

"So, anything particularly interesting happening today Miss McTaggert?" The question posed every morning by the teenager shuffling papers and glancing up at her boss with quiet grey eyes.

"Not particularly Katherine, to be perfectly honest it's mostly admin work. You know, the usual making sure the menus for the week are satisfactory, the laundry rota updated, the cleaning staff happy. We have… two new students arriving as well at about Noon" The older woman murmured, her scarlet hair bound back and tied into a severe bun as she looked at two folders on her desk.

The layout of the room wasn't unusual, a desk at the back facing the rest of the room with a window at the back. Four bookcases lined the burgundy walls, the rich wine carpet complimented by a white rug near a crackling fire. This was the headmistress and disciplinarian of the school's solace where only her aide, Katherine Pryde was allowed to enter. Fingerprint and retinal scanner at the door prevented any intruders no matter how criminally gifted they may happen to be. A bit extreme perhaps but it never hurt to be careful especially in such an 'interesting' school.

"So, do you want me to sort them out in the dorms? Genders?" The question posed by Katherine as she sat at her own desk located in a corner with a large wooden walk in closet next to her. For such a closet contained the school's permanent records and was more precious then all the money in the safe behind the painting at Moira's desk. Miss McTaggert glanced at her old student; formerly the best cat burglar in Illinois Katherine or Shadowcat as she was dubbed by the press had made a remarkable turn around, one of Moira's success stories that such an infamous young woman could become so respectable in such a short time.

Katherine's hair was long and loose in artificial curls with her large blue eyes scanning the page that dictated what dormitories were empty or occupied. Here at the Institution there was a policy of only having two to a room to create a bonding. Children tended to repent their behaviour when they had a strong hold on a friend or roommate to accompany them on the trip towards redemption.

"Here" Moira said, her accent calm as she gave the two folders to Katherine who nodded and began to scan the documents. "Interesting" The American girl replied, her accent and colloquial language almost extinct from the years at the Institution that sometimes had a special class in public speaking and diction for those with slang that they didn't want anymore. So had Katherine thrown herself into representing herself as a respectful young woman that could go out into the world and not be labelled instantly as a "valley girl."

"Aren't they just, a shape shifter and a nocturnal manip at the same time. One from our own bonny Scotland and the other from Cambridge, look here she has Russian routes." Moira intoned and Katherine nodded her agreement. "Interesting abilities, so what have they done to earn themselves a place here at our established institute for gifted young offenders?" Katherine asked, eyes afire with curiosity.

"One, the shape shifter was hunted down by her village claiming that she had stolen their chickens and sheep to cook and eat. Of course with her alternate form I doubt she'd cook them before eating but it's good that they've assumed that she is merely stealing them. She also has a charge of possessing magical abilities. That's the problem I'm afraid and she's a foster child so she's been foisted on us. It's these country backwaters that give Scotland a bad name" Moira said, anger entering her pose as Katherine raised a brow. It wasn't often her boss and mentor got angry but when she did fireworks flew.

"What about the other?" She asked, hoping to distract Miss McTaggert from an impending rage. "She's even more interesting, it seems that this young woman induces sleep into the owners of houses and promptly burgles them." Katherine flinched, an impromptu reminder of her old life was all she needed right now. Maybe it would be best to avoid the new child, as not to drag up painful memories. No such luck. "I would like you to be their mentor" Another policy of the Institution that all students in groups of two or three would be looked after by a member of staff that they could talk to if the need arise. However they didn't encourage the mentor to be someone to whine to, the students were here to learn and not to be babysat.

"B-both?" Katherine asked, swallowing. Ordinarily she'd be thrilled that such an opportunity has arisen, she was technically only a glorified secretary and to be given this task meant she was one step closer to becoming a proper teacher, a dream she'd nurtured since becoming Moira's assistant. Miss McTaggert nodded curtly and then glanced at the dormitory chart.

"Put them both in room 14, it's large and slightly isolated from the other girls. A blue room too, an added bonus so they're not under constant surveillance but we have a systematic check." Moira smiled. The institution was a large manor house with several buildings. In the student's residential areas, there was a female and male section with a camera at both entry points to make sure that no "hanky panky" occurred between students. That's all Moira needed, a baby in the Institution. They only accepted students from thirteen and up unless a latent mutant arrived and the child had preteen powers.

Then the rooms were colour coded, black was constant surveillance with a guard on standby, red was constant surveillance and iron bars over the windows. Blue was monitored surveillance, grey was occasional surveillance and white was those whom were ready to leave the institution and had their privacy. Such a system took time and money, but Moira under indirect employment from the UN and EU had both to spare.

"Are you sure you want them isolated?" Katherine asked, curious at this. Usually the policy would be for the newest students to be thrown in at the deep end to show that she needed to become adept at social interaction. "The nocturnal manip can't sleep if there's too many people around as she visits their dreams." Was the calm reply as Katherine nodded.

"Well let's hope they settle in quickly" Was the final thought of both women as twelve o'clock drew steadily closer.

A/N Okay, first chapter out of the way, I hope y'all liked it since I spent quite a bit of time on it. I know it's different and strange but I'm both so…anyway as you'd notice Kitty is there and non valley girl! Who else do you want to be a student at the Institution? I'm taking suggestions, and I really don't mind as long as you give me a suggestion. Remy is an obvious choice since he's already a thief but I was thinking of a different idea for him…who do you think the shape shifter is? Any OC's of your own or maybe even a couple of you want to be placed in the alternate X-universe? Well if you do well in your review –hopefully- say the name you'd go by, age, powers and what you'd done to earn you a place at the institution. Oh and of course, where you're from like America, England, Mars I don't know.

So comments etc are welcome,

Di


	2. Pride and Prejudice

A/N thanks for all the reviews people they were much appreciated and were a nice surprise! I've never had that many reviews before! Anyways chapter number two and this leads to the introduction of Rahne and my new character. With them, they will be joined by a copious amount of X Men, maybe a couple of OC's and finally me and my friend Cassy. Prepare for madness!

"Son of a bitch get the hell away from me" The loud voice called through the halls as a young woman bunched fists, swinging a punch at another young man who was raising his upper lip in what only could be described as a snarl. The punch was dodged as the girl growled, "You won't be so lucky bitch"

"And I'd like to see you try again princess" The gruff voice emanated from the young man who at only sixteen had a distinct five o'clock shadow on his chin. His black flyaway hair was medium length, his bright blue eyes now focused angrily on his assailant. Wearing the school's uniform of a black blazer accompanied with a red and black striped tie, white shirt and black trousers he would've been a presentable teenager if it wasn't for the scuff marks on his shoes and the ostentatious rip in his trousers, the pocket torn away hanging by a thread.

The girl, not scruffy in the manner of the boy had done some 'customising' to her own uniform. Whereas the boy's uniform included trousers, the girls was a black pleated skirt in replacement of the male counterpoint. However this young lady sported black and red stockings to go with her tie, a thick black belt with silver studded areas and plenty of colourful badges and buttons sewn onto her school bag casually slung over one shoulder. Her female blazer was off; slung over her bag whilst her wrists were covered in black, pink and red jelly bands whilst one finger and one thumb sported silver rings. The most contested piece of her ensemble was of course her hair, pulled up into a bun with bright blue streaks extruding from the topknot cascading next to her un made face.

"Cass he ain't worth it, jeez I wouldn't waste my breath on a dead beat scum bag who thinks that pretty claws make him special" The cutting remark, delivered with impeccable timing and a razor sharp dislike for the world. Thus all the people in the corridor dispersed, some with disappointment for the abandoned fight, others with fear for the one that dispersed. Such an infamous young woman made sure that fear was the primary emotion that people responded to around her.

"You're right Alie, and here I thought I had a challenge here" The girl the other had called Cass tossed her head and gave a dismissive smirk to the boy who was growling at her. "Now now pretty boy you may want to risk tumbling with an" The girl coughed delicately "innocent fifteen year old but would you like to play with me" She asked pointedly, stepping out of the shadows and looking down on the now cowed young man.

"That's right James, I'll let you go but watch what you say from now on hmm sweetie? Because I tend to get pissed very quickly" She delivered the unveiled threat with a wink and a sardonic smile as the angry yet worried male mutant walked sullenly away.

"Now Chicka gonna tell me what that was all about or do I have to have an ear open in case I hear your lovely challenges?" The one called Alie said ominously as her misty eyes glittered, changing rapidly from green to grey then from grey to blue. Cassy, recognising the danger signs blanched slightly but grinned. "He called me princess, I taught him the error of his ways. I'm surprised but he didn't like being thought that he was trapped in a girls dress store."

Alie, despite her irritation rolled her eyes and smiled, "You're gonna be carted up in front of McTaggert for that one love, and you'll have a nullifier but on you" She rolled her eyes once again that had returned to a calm green.

"Don't care, it'll last a week then I'll be fine" Cassy shrugged at her slightly older and taller friend. Looking at Alie or Rosalie as she was known on her birth certificate you could see why most of the school was afraid of her. Her long brown hair was loose, tumbling to her mid back with the black and red braids dotted seemingly randomly around her head. Flaunting the no make up rules, her eyes were dusted with a light grey, her lashes sporting mascara and her lips lightly glistening with gloss.

Wearing the school uniform her blazer was missing, the shirt she wore emphasising her curves in a barely hidden way, silver and black jelly bands on her wrists whilst one finger and both thumbs sported silver rings. Around her neck was a silver ankh and a small nose piercing, eye brow piercing and several lobe piercing's she was intimidating at 5"10 not counting the high shoes she wore. Her skirt, just above the knee finished with the black fishnets Miss Rosalie or Kitten as she was wryly known was not a force to be messed with.

"There's new people coming" She said blankly, her aristocratic accent might have earned mockery if she had not been so in charge of the school. Cassy, or Cassandra perked up and smiled. "Who?" She murmured her American accent not yet dulled by the surroundings.

"Two girls, a metamorph and a nocturnal manip whatever that means" Alie said calmly as she and her friend began walking to their dorms in red, they weren't dubbed the bitches of the school for nothing.

"Interesting, where are they?" Cassy asked, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Blue, but with a little work they can be put in red with us" Alie smiled a smile that could only be dubbed as malevolent.

A/N What you think, I know it's a little self-centred but I love being horrible! Plus every good story needs a bad guy!


	3. Staff List

A/N Me again, I've screwed my knee up so I'm writing this at home on my day off so I can recuperate. Now finally I believe I shall introduce my OC and Rahne (duh!) By the way that young man in the last chapter was of course a teenage Logan that a couple of you spotted. Now I'm going to reveal a little sneak peak of who's going to make up the teaching staff at the institution:

"I hope the groans won't disturb you Mrs Braddock-Worthington" Katherine said in a thoroughly self-effacing manner as she waited for the students to appear after their breakfast.

For on the public notice boards dotted around the school were the new class teachers and what they taught. Many would be disappointed that some teachers had retired, most teachers only lasted five years in the school if they were not 'gifted' or past students whereas others lasted much longer.

"Not too much trouble Kitty" The teacher replied with a smile, still using that infantile form of Katherine's name with apparent glee. Katherine winced and grinned. " I suppose I deserve that, I really did give you hell didn't I"

"Yes love and I'm glad you chose to stay on, one day you'll be a full teacher- I heard about the mentoring thing. Well done dear" The young teacher patted Kitty on the arm and retreated back into her classroom.

Despite the fact that term didn't begin for three days, she was getting ready for the incipient trouble ahead and preparing lesson plans. She had four grades of classes and each needed an new syllabus for both History AND Geography.

Safe to say, Mrs Braddock- Worthington had her hands full and Katherine didn't envy her one bit. As people began to arrive she made her retreat, wincing at the swear words but with not enough confidence to give out bad conduct marks and a couple of deserved demerits for the more…colourful language.

The List read:

Mrs McTaggert: Head teacher.

Mrs Braddock-Worthington: History and Geography

Mrs Summers-Grey: Psychology

Mr McCoy: Science

Mr LeBeau: Modern Foreign languages

Miss Smith: Gift control

Mr Worthington: Business Studies

Mr Jones: Physical Education

Mr Summers: Physical Education

Mr Daniels- Wood work and metal work

Mr and Mrs Braddock: Religious and Life Education

Ms Maximoff: Guidance Councillor

Miss Skye- Music

Miss Jazz- Out door pursuits

A/N I need ideas- for the Textiles and Food Technology (Home Economics) teachers! They can be canon characters or OC's but I need a full history if it's OC's! I really do and why they do that! If I don't get any feedback I'm putting Daphine as Food Tech and Ruby as Textiles. Sky I'm getting you back in many a evil way- starting with making you the music teacher and second having Jazz teach out door pursuits P Any subjects I miss let me know!


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